Devon Dougherty has all of the credentials to be a successful Thoroughbred trainer. She started as a groom and a hot walker in 2016, graduated the Godolphin Flying Start Program, won the industry’s Newcomer Award in 2018, and worked as an assistant for the late Hall of Fame trainer Christophe Clement for three years, running his winter operation in New York.

All she needs now are a few more horses.

One of the five she currently trains – Speightfulelection – will be her latest starter on Sunday in the second race at Monmouth Park, with the 28-year-old LaSalle University graduate seeking her third career win since going out on her own last year. She is 0-for-8 this year but undeterred.

“I have fewer horses than I had last year, and fewer than I want, but I had a couple of horses claimed and I have some babies coming soon,” said Dougherty. “When you’re on your own the water gets deeper and there are more challenges. But being a trainer has been my dream my whole life. It’s very hard to do. It’s not easy getting the education to do it.

“It’s a sport with a lot of highs and lows. You just have to keep putting in the time and the effort.”

By her 17^th starter during her debut year as a trainer in 2025, Dougherty had her first winner – a filly named Peony, who won at Monmouth Park last Aug. 17. That same horse gave her a second career win a month later on the turf at the Meadowlands.

As memorable as her first winner was it was the emotional attachment that made it even more special.

“I trained (Peony) for Christophe as a 2-year-old and then when she broke her maiden at 3,” said Dougherty, who has been Monmouth Park-based for both years since going out on her own. “When she won for me it almost felt like a full circle moment because it was a filly I worked with for Christophe.

“What was kind of cool is that she won for Christophe and then Miguel (Clement, Christophe’s son) and then for me. It kind of tied everything in a nice bow.”

Dougherty, who grew up just outside Parx, almost couldn’t avoid being involved in horse racing. Her late dad worked at Parx for 30 years and her mother, Linda, covered – among many things – horse racing for the Trentonian newspaper. She was on the rail watching as a fan at Monmouth Park when Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh won the 2015 Haskell.

The decision to go out on her own last year, she said, was done in consultation with Clement, who passed away last May 24.

“His health was declining and he felt it was the right time to start downsizing and for me to go out on my own,” said Dougherty, who holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from LaSalle. “When you’re lucky enough to be an assistant for Christophe Clement there’s a lot of security. He had longstanding relationships with owners for decades.

“For me, I think there was more excitement than anxiety when I went out on my own, but there was definitely a lot of uncertainty.”

After going 2-for-32 last year, Dougherty knows that she may also have to create some of her own breaks. Speightfulelection is an example of that, with the 5-year-old Jersey-bred mare trying open $5,000 claimers at six furlongs on the dirt on Sunday.

“She’s better on the turf but there are not really a lot of races on the turf for her right now,” she said. “She’s doing well so we’re giving her this chance.”

Meanwhile, Peony is getting closer to starting her 5-year-old campaign, having been idle since November.

“She should be ready pretty soon,” said Dougherty.